Bears-Eagles ‘Sunday Night Football’ Is #1 for the Night on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in Every Key Measure, Despite the Most Lopsided Outcome of the NFL Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Dec. 24, 2013 –NBC has won the primetime ratings week of Dec. 16-22, with “Sunday Night Football” and the Tuesday and Monday editions of “The Voice” ranking #1, 2 and 3 among primetime telecasts on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49. According to “live plus same day” viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week, NBC averaged a 2.4 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 8.1 million viewers overall.

NBC has now finished #1 or tied for #1 eight weeks in a row and during 12 of 13 weeks so far this season, finishing #2 only once during a week in which Fox carried World Series coverage on four of seven nights. In addition to winning last week in adults 18-49, NBC also led the Big 4 networks in every other key demographic.

Through 13 weeks of the new season, NBC ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and is also #1 in every other key demo – adults, men and women 18-34; men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54.

NBC leads the season by 0.4 of a rating point (with a 3.1 vs. second-place CBS’s 2.7), matching the biggest margin for any network 13 weeks into the season in 11 years (since NBC led by 0.7 of a point in 2002).

In total viewers, NBC ranks #2 for the season with an average of 9.9 million viewers, which is its biggest overall audience 13 weeks into the season in seven years (since 2006, 10.3 million). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 12% season to date in total viewers (9.9 million vs. 8.8 million).

Monday: NBC won the night among the Big 4, winning six of six primetime half-hours in 18-49 and total viewers with the #1 show of the night on those networks in both measures, “The Voice” (3.3 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49, 12.7 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET). “The Voice” ranked #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults, men and women 18-49; adults, men and women 25-54; adults and women 18-34; and total viewers. In the time slot, “The Voice” led the Big 4 competition by a 43% margin in adults 18-49 (3.3 rating vs. a 2.3 for CBS’s second-place comedies).

“The Sing-Off” (2.0/6 in adults 18-49, 7.3 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) grew versus its prior telecast on the previous Thursday by 54% (2.0 vs. 1.3) and was up 11% versus the edition before that on Wednesday night, Dec. 11 (2.0 vs. 1.8). Versus the fourth telecast of the prior cycle, this week’s Monday “Sing-Off” was up 33% in 18-49 rating (2.0 vs. 1.5) and up 67% in total viewers (7.3 million vs. 4.3 million). Monday’s 7.3 million viewers for “Sing-Off” topped every telecast of the prior “Sing-Off” cycle from the fall of 2011 and matched or topped every telecast of the first “Sing-Off” cycle in December 2009. “The Sing-Off” ranked #1 in the time period versus original competition on ABC and CBS in every key ratings category.

Tuesday: NBC dominated the night in 18-49, with the live finale of “The Voice” (4.0/11 in 18-49, 14.0 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) ranking as the #1 show of the night by a 38% margin (with a 4.0 rating vs. a 2.9 for the #2 show, CBS’s “NCIS”). “The Voice” jumped 29% versus its prior Tuesday telecast in 18-49 (to a 4.0 rating vs. a 3.1), to its highest Tuesday rating since Oct. 22 — in fact, it was the top rating for any Tuesday telecast on the Big 4 since Oct. 22. “The Voice” won the time period among the Big 4 in every key ratings measure – adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. From its first half-hour to its fourth, “The Voice” finale grew by 23% or 0.8 of a point in 18-49 rating and by 14% or 1.9 million persons in total viewers.

In total viewers, “The Voice” grew by 22% or 2.5 million persons week to week (to 14.0 million vs. 11.5 million), for the top Tuesday “Voice” in total viewers since Oct. 1, during the second week of the season. In total viewers, “The Voice” finished within 1% of the year-ago finale (14.1 million).

In the time period, “The Voice” set season highs in 18-49 and total viewers, topping NBC’s Tuesday 9-11 p.m. averages so far this season by 29% in 18-49 (4.0 vs. 3.1) and 33% in total viewers (14.0 million vs. 10.5 million).

“The Biggest Loser” (2.0/6 in 18-49, 7.0 viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) grew week to week by 5% in 18-49 (to a 2.0 from a 1.9) and 12% in total viewers (7.0 million vs. 6.2 million). In total viewers, it was the top “Biggest Loser” since the show’s season premiere Oct. 15 (7.160 million).

Wednesday: “The Sing-Off” (1.6/5 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, marking the first time this season NBC has won a share of the time-period lead in that slot. “The Sing-Off” also ranked #1 outright among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in the slot in women 18-49 and adults, men and women 18-34. Head to head versus Fox’s “X Factor,” “The Sing-Off” prevailed in 18-49 (1.6 vs. 1.3) and total viewers (5.4 million vs. 5.0 million) and delivered bigger audiences than “X Factor” in every other key ratings category.

Thursday: “The Sing-Off” (1.2/4 in adults 18-49, 4.5 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) retained 92% of the prior Thursday’s 18-49 rating (1.2 vs. 1.3) and 98% of the previous Thursday’s total-viewer result (4.5 million vs. 4.6 million), despite this week facing the “X Factor” finale and ABC’s encore of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The Thursday “Sing-Off” was up by 28% versus NBC’s slot averages for last season in total viewers (4.437 million vs. 3.461 million).

Heading into the Monday, Dec. 23 finale, this year’s cycle of “The Sing-Off” was averaging a 1.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.2 million viewers overall, for a gain versus the prior cycle of 13% in 18-49 (1.8 vs. 1.6) and 40% in total viewers (6.2 million vs. 4.5 million). In its various time slots, “The Sing-Off” had improved NBC’s time-period performance versus one year ago by an average of 20% in 18-49 rating (1.8 vs. 1.5) and 18% in total viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.3 million).

An encore telecast of “Saturday Night Live Christmas” (1.7/5 in adults 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) won its second hour from 10-11 p.m. in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and adults 25. Excluding the nights of “The Sound of Music Live!” and NFL Thanksgiving football, “SNL Christmas” earned NBC’s highest 18-49 rating in the time period since Sept. 26 and biggest overall audience in the slot since Oct. 3.

For the night, NBC tied for #2 in adults 18-49 among the Big 4 nets and tied for #1 in men 18-49 and men 18-34.

Friday: NBC’s 35th primetime run of the 1946 movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1.1/4 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET) grew 38% versus the most comparable year-ago telecast in 18-49 (1.1 vs. a 0.8 on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012) and 31% or 1.2 million persons in total viewers (5.5 million vs. 4.2 million). Versus NBC’s year-ago 8-11 p.m. average for the Friday before Christmas, the film was up 38% in 18-49 (1.1 vs. 0.8 for Friday, Dec. 21, 2012) and up 25% or more than 1.0 million persons in total viewers (5.5 million vs. 4.4 million).

Saturday: NBC ranked #1 in primetime among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, led by the #1 primetime show of the night on those nets, the 10-11 p.m. ET “Saturday Night Live” encore (1.0/4 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall). The “Saturday Night Live” rebroadcast, with host Paul Rudd and musical guest One Direction, earned the top 18-49 rating for an “SNL” rebroadcast in the slot since April 13 (with host Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Phoenix, 1.1/4 in 18-49).

An encore telecast of “The Sing-Off” (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.1 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) finished #1 for its second hour from 9-10 p.m. in adults 18-49 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

Sunday: “Sunday Night Football” (6.2/18 in 18-49, 18.3 million viewers overall from 8:31-11:13 p.m. ET), featuring the Chicago Bears at the Philadelphia Eagles, ranked #1 for the night on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures, leading NBC to the nightlong win in every key measure, despite the game ending with the most lopsided score of the NFL season (Eagles 54, Bears 11),